Loughinisland blitzkrieg drown Darragh in derby

13 July 2016

LOUGHINISLAND kept their Division 2 title aspirations on course with a comprehensive defeat of Darragh Cross in a high-scoring encounter at Macartan Park on Friday evening.

Both teams took to the field missing a number of regulars, but those who paid in at the gate certainly got value for money once An Riocht referee Neil Cousins hopped the ball.

In total the game contained 36 scores, 19 for the home side and 17 for the visitors. However, Loughinisiland managed to find the net on seven occasions which helped them to a comfortable success.

The home side were quick to get into their stride with Paddy McKenny scoring two early points before Darragh ‘keeper Gerard Marks pulled off a top drawer save to deny McKenny a goal.

At the end of the first quarter Loughinisland led 2-2 to 0-3 with Rory Deegan finding the net twice while James Murray, Oisin McConvey and Marcus Miskelly converted points for Darragh.

Both sides lost influential players following an accidental collision which saw Darragh’s John Timoney and Loughinisland Jonny Flynn having to leave the field with Flynn spending the night in hospital with a thigh injury.

Dan Gordon replaced Flynn and immediately sent the ball over the bar from just inside the 45 metre line.

Loughinisland led by five points with ten minutes of the half remaining and had victory virtually guaranteed when they rocked the visitors with three goals in as many minutes as half-time approached.

Stefan Mason, making a return after 11 weeks on the sidelines, set up the first goal when sending a sideline kick into the far side of the field which Ryan Stranney crossed to give Rory Deegan his third goal of the game. Paddy McKenny picked out Rory Mason who shot past Marks and seconds from the break Mickey Brannigan raced through for goal number five to give Loughinisland an unassailable 5-7 to 0-8 lead at the break.

Stefan Mason and Gareth Johnson added two more goals to the Loughinisland tally in the second half. Darragh Cross added nine points mainly through Marcus Miskelly, Shane Murray and Lee Morrison, but victory was never in doubt for the Blues who are well placed for their title run-in with defining games against An Riocht and Downpatrick ahead.

Loughinisland: K Gordon, E Orr, C O’Toole, P Martin, D McLaughlin (0-1), P Digney, J Flynn, R Stranney (0-1), D McClements, M Brannigan (1-0), A McClements (0-4), S Mason (1-0), P McKenny (0-4), R Mason (1-1), R Deegan (3-0). Subs used: W Russell, G Johnson (1-0), Cormac O’Toole, D Gordon (0-1).

Darragh Cross: G Marks, S Timoney, J McKinney, M Boyle, J Murray (0-1), S Dineen, C Murray, D Heaney, O McConvey (0-1), M McMahon, A McGrattan (0-1), S Murray (0-4), L Morrison (0-3), M Miskelly (0-6), J Flynn. Sub: B Ward (0-1).

Referee: Neil Cousins (An Riocht).

Tweets by @TheDownRecorder